Sunday, October 23, 2011

Kabocha Squash Soup: A Perfect Bowl Of Fall

It started with a Kabocha squash and muttered self-criticisms like, "WHY did I pack that skillet?"

There's a lot of change going on this month. I am moving to a new apartment. Then, in true freelance form, a project started and suddenly stopped. When change comes about, I love to make a big pot of something simple, so at least I know I have consistent meals in between bubble wrap and boxes.

This soup became a gift to myself. One meal-making session created four dinners during a time when I'm so busy, I'm forgetting to eat or am skipping meals, and its simplicity makes it a new favorite recipe. The base has eight ingredients (read: what I had left lying around), and that's counting water, salt and pepper. It's an homage to the new ingredients the season brings, in food and life.
You're going to make a nice soup.

Kabocha Squash Soup
Burwell General Store
Serves: Eight

Ingredients:
Soup:
1 Kabocha Squash, halved, seeded and roasted (If you can't find a Kabocha squash, try one butternut and one acorn squash to replicate the Kabocha since butternuts are relatively sweet.)
3-4 large cloves shallot (a scant 1/2 cup, minced)
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
16 oz. organic or homemade vegetable or chicken stock (I used veggie)
Approx. 4 cups water
2 Tbsp. dark brown or Demerara sugar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to drizzle

Garnish:
toasted pecans
Fried sage leaves (hot olive oil, fry ten seconds a side until the leaves turn deep green, drain)
Parmesan cheese
Whole grain bread on the side (Not shown. I absentmindedly ate it while taking the pictures.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375F. Halve, seed, oil and roast a Kabocha squash on a sheet pan for 45min-1hr until fork-tender.  Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. In a stock pot, saute shallot until translucent. Add sage and stir for a minute. Add squash, stock and three cups of water and let come to a simmer. Season liberally with salt and pepper, add sugar and simmer for another half hour, making sure everything is still stirring around in the pot, adding more water if it isn't. Press soup through a fine mesh sieve or blend in batches in a blender until you reach a smooth consistency with a few bits of texture here and there. Return to pot and add any final water if you desire a thinner soup. To serve, top with toasted pecans, grated Parmesan and fried sage, warmed bread on the side.

Notes: My pot kept for four days in the fridge, but I imagine this freezes nicely, too.  This can be completely vegan if you use vegetable stock and omit the Parmesan cheese.

6 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry for all the flux you are undergoing right now. I fully agree on 'when in stress, make soup'. I'm saving this as the cold weather sets in, I go through alot of squash. Love the 'note' to the squash under the photo as well.

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  2. Love squash soup! Yours looks great!

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  3. Tried to leave a comment earlier but alas, blogger got the best of me again. So I'm back. I adore pecans with pumpkin and other winter squashes. Made pumpkin pancakes yesterday and the pecans just elevated them to another level. This is so creative and in the midst of moving? I'd be eating, well, I won't say but it wouldn't be home-cooked soup, if I was moving. Bravo!

    Will I see you in Santa Monica in November?

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  4. If I were moving it would be scrambled eggs all the way. Unfortunately this is the case even when I'm NOT moving...

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  5. I make squash soup all the time, and usually by the time Jan/Feb rolls around I'm so tired of squash I could scream. But I have never ever put pecans or fried sage leaves on top of my squash soup. I feel like this might revolutionize my squash soup! (p.s. I new I needed to comment on this post when I found myself thinking about your recipe & pecans on soup for the last few days in a row. no kidding.)

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  6. This is so amazing. I have never made squash soup before. This one is gorgeous. I just love the look of squash. It is just so rustic.

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